TENNIS - Navratilova Captures Ninth Singles Title - NYTimes.com TENNIS; Navratilova Captures Ninth Singles Title By ROBIN FINN, Special to The New York Times Published: July 8, 1990 WIMBLEDON, England, July 7— She straddled the net to acknowledge a badly beaten opponent and then, her courtside courtesies complete, Martina Navratilova sank down on her sore, old knees for an instant of silent communion with the tennis court she loves best. Navratilova is 33 years old and has been transfixed for the last three of them by a compulsion to make history at Wimbledon by winning a record ninth singles championship. She achieved the object of her obsession on Center Court today by beating Zina Garrison in straight sets. ''There were no glitches this time; everything came up nines,'' said Navratilova, who had been defeated by Steffi Graf in the finals for the last two years and began plotting the surest path toward this 1990 final the day after she lost in 1989. With the victory, she improved her career singles record here to 99-9.

Navratilova's cause received some unanticipated assistance from Garrison, who played the first Grand Slam final of her career today, when Garrison knocked Graf from the tournament in the semifinal round. Navratilova showed her gratitude, though, by dismissing Garrison in two virtually trouble-free sets. Stylish and Wise Play ''It would have been more fitting to play Steffi, but at the same time, obviously Zina earned her place there,'' said Navratilova, who has competed here for 18 years. ''The event overtakes the person you end up beating.'' Determined not to be overwhelmed by the occasion until she had succeeded in making it the occasion she wanted to remember, Navratilova played more stylishly and wisely than Garrison in defeating the 26-year-old Texan, 6-4, 6-1, in their 75-minute final. Navratilova's record against Garrison improved to 28-1 with the victory that brought her an 18th Grand Slam singles title and earned her a $354,674 top prize.

''She was a step ahead of me the whole time,'' said Garrison, significant flattery from the woman generally considered to be the nimblest player in women's tennis. Garrison also noticed that Navratilova, despite the momentous situation, was far from nervous. Garrison said, ''I think if you play somebody and beat them 28 times and they've only beaten you once, I know I'm more relaxed when I play players I've beaten a lot.'' Garrison admitted that the prospect of appearing on Center Court for her first Grand Slam final against a woman who had already been successful there in 8 of her 10 visits was a daunting one. She said she was not distracted by the presence of Althea Gibson, a two-time Wimbledon champion and the only other black woman to appear in a Wimbledon final, who appeared in the Royal Box in the same tracksuit she had worn to Garrison's morning practice. ''I was really happy Althea was here, but it didn't affect me in any way,'' said Garrison, who thought she played too feebly to worry Navratilova. ''My returning serve wasn't working as well as I would have liked, and you know, she was the most aggressive.

She went out and she went for it; I think I was a tad too laid back. With a player like Martina, who's aggressive, your adrenaline needs to be a little bit high.'' Garrison said there was never a doubt in her mind that it would require a monumental performance to detour Navratilova today. ''I can't even comprehend winning one Wimbledon; it's amazing that someone can do this.'' Garrison said. ''She really believes this is her court and that no one can take it away from her.'' 'Going for Double Digits' By adding a ninth silver plate to the eight she began collecting here in 1978, Navratilova broke a record she had shared for the last three years with Helen Wills Moody, the octogenarian who won her eighth and final Wimbledon title in 1938. ''I think people like to see history being made,'' Navratilova said. ''Now I'm going for double digits. As long as the body is willing, I'm willing.'' Navratilova termed this the toughest Wimbledon of her life, both physically and emotionally.

She attributed her resilience in both departments to her coaches Billie Jean King, who taught her how to maintain a healthy attitude toward her tennis, and Craig Kardon, who drilled her technical skills into Grand Slam form. Navratilova, who has also been prolific in the doubles competition here over the years, is now just three titles from catching King's Wimbledon record of 20. ''We made her rehearse match point every night for the last two months,'' King said. ''I keep thinking this is a dream and I'm going to wake up and find out it hasn't really happened, but knowing Martina, now she's going to go for my record.'' Garrison's Serve Breakable Navratilova had not expected to find Garrison's serve as breakable as it was. She achieved her first match point by rifling off a pair of forehands that froze Garrison in her tracks at the net and converted the match point with a full-flung forehand service return that Garrison backhanded out of bounds. Navratilova's plundering of Garrison's serve was key to the encounter: Navratilova capitalized on 4 of her 11 break points against the serving of Garrison, who earned just two break points and converted neither.

Garrison said she lost hope after fending off four break points in the third game of the second set, only to be stymied by the backhand service winner Navratilova whistled down the line for her fifth opportunity and the backhand passing shot that eluded her at game point. Photos: Martina Navratilova during the final game in her defeat of Zina Garrison in the women's singles final yesterday at Wimbledon (Reuters) (pg. 1); Zina Garrison and Martina Navratilova after their match yesterday. (Associated Press) Navratilova Wins a Record Ninth Wimbledon Singles Title - NYTimes.com Navratilova Wins a Record Ninth Wimbledon Singles Title Published: July 8, 1990 This item appeared in the paper as a stand alone photograph. Caption information is provided below. Photo: Martina Navratilova defeated Zina Garrison yesterday to become the first player ever to win nine Wimbledon singles championships. She won in straight sets, 6-4, 6-1. Sports, section 8.

(Reuters) For Navratilova, Nine Is Perfect at Wimbledon - latimes For Navratilova, Nine Is Perfect at Wimbledon July 08, 1990 |THOMAS BONK | TIMES STAFF WRITER WIMBLEDON, England — Wimbledon brought Martina Navratilova to her knees Saturday afternoon at Centre Court, where she knelt quietly for a few seconds. Then she stood, looked up at the sky and shook her head in wonder. She was a queen surveying her realm, every blade of grass. Navratilova laid claim to the world's most famous tennis tournament for the ninth time since 1978 and once again established the grass court as her personal domain. Navratilova, 33, defeated Zina Garrison, 6-4, 6-1, in the Wimbledon final to break a tie with Helen Wills Moody, who had shared the previous record of eight Wimbledon singles titles. "Nothing can top this," Navratilova said.

She defeated Garrison, a 26-year-old Texan appearing in her first Grand Slam final, by breaking her serve in the third game of both sets and again in the fifth and seventh games of the second. When it was over, Navratilova jogged to the stands and climbed over the railing into the Friends Box. She hugged her coach, Craig Kardon, adviser Billie Jean King and longtime friend Judy Nelson. "I first checked it out to make sure I didn't fall on my face," Navratilova said. Later, she held the round, silver trophy high above her head, as she had eight times before. "This tops it all," Navratilova said. "I've worked so hard for it. They say good things are worth waiting for, and I've sure been waiting for this." Garrison made her wait 1 hour 15 minutes, but no longer. The woman who upset both Monica Seles and Steffi Graf could not keep pace with Navratilova's winning serves or accurate volleys. On just two occasions did Navratilova hesitate in the slightest. Garrison had only two opportunities to break Navratilova and missed them both.

Already down a set and a break, Garrison fell behind, 4-1, when Navrtilova hit two of her trademark shots. At 30-30, Navratilova reached Garrison's short volley and deposited a forehand passing shot deep in the corner. Then on break point, Navratilova sent a forehand service return cross court for a winner. Garrison said she merely caught a great champion having a great day. "I mean, a couple of times she was moving in one direction and she'd just lunge and make great shots," Garrison said. "I mean, I hit a couple real soft and I thought I had her on the move, and she'd come up with an even better shot. "She was a step ahead of me every time. She was definitely on. I mean, everything was clicking for her." Garrison was hoping she would have her game clicking. She practiced before the match taking serves from left-hander Tom Gullickson, Jennifer Capriati's coach, who was playing in the over-35 division. Watching Garrison play from the Royal Box was Althea Gibson, the only other black woman to play in the Wimbledon final.

Gibson won in 1957 and '58. But this was not to be Garrison's day. She could not interrupt history. Instead, Navratilova extended her record against Garrison to 28-1 and became the first to win Wimbledon titles in three decades. Garrison accepted a silver plate smaller than Navratilova's and got a good look at the winner's trophy. "I've had a great Wimbledon," Garrison said. "It's even more exciting when you get a chance to see that trophy up close than it is far away on television. "Dreams do come true," she said. "I still believe I'm starting to become Zina Garrison, the tennis player I think I can be." It was Garrison's second emotional Grand Slam moment. She defeated Chris Evert in Evert's final match at last year's U.S. Open, then placed herself this year between Navratilova and a record ninth championship. So, Navratilova's reign as Wimbledon champion resumed after a two-year hiatus caused by Graf, who was not around to contest the issue this time. "I knew I had one more (Wimbledon title) left in me," Navratilova said. "Not too many people believed me.

"The doubts are always there. You just have to overcome them and believe you have another chance. "I didn't have to play Steffi, yes, and maybe I would never have as good a chance. I knew I had to grasp it. It was my match to win. I wasn't afraid to grasp it." Graf or no Graf, there will be no asterisk next to Navratilova's name in the record books. If there is one notable improvement in Navratilova's game, it is the way King prepared her mentally. "She worked on my game, but more important is what she did with me mentally," Navratilova said. "I didn't let it overwhelm me." Said King: "It's a dream, it's a dream." It was real. Navratilova's date with history did not begin so auspiciously: After showering, she put mousse in her hair before combing it. But there she was anyway, holding up that plate, raising three fingers three times. Why? Navratilova's ninth Wimbledon title brought her Wimbledon match record to 99-9. "Everything is coming up nines," Navratilova said.

For her, on this Saturday, nine was a 10.

NAVRATILOVA'S CHAMPIONSHIPS Year Opponent Score 1990 Zina Garrison 6-4, 6-1 1987 Steffi Graf 7-5, 6-3 1986 Hana Mandlikova 7-6, 6-3 1985 Chris Evert 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 1984 Chris Evert 7-6, 6-2 1983 Andrea Jaeger 6-0, 6-3 1982 Chris Evert 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 1979 Chris Evert 6-4, 6-4 1978 Chris Evert 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 MORE: History - 1990s - The Championships, Wimbledon 2017 - Official Site by IBM READ MORE 1990: A record for Navratilova On a sunny Saturday afternoon, Martina Navratilova produced a near-flawless performance to win her ninth Wimbledon singles title, a record that

 will take some topping in today's day and age.

Competing against fellow American Zina Garrison, Navratilova served and volleyed her way around Centre Court in emphatic fashion, dropping just five games as she took the title 6-1, 6-4. The 33-year-old Navratilova won six consecutive championships from 1982 to 1987 but was made to wait before surpassing Helen Wills Moody's record of eight titles, losing the previous two years in the final to Steffi Graf. But, with Graf disposed of by Garrison in the semi-finals, Navratilova got there eventually, straddling the net to acknowledge her beaten opponent and then, her courtside courtesies complete, sinking down on her knees for an instant of silent communion with the tennis court she loves best. "There were no glitches this time; everything came up nines," she said. "This tops it all, absolutely, because I've worked so hard." 1990: Boris Becker v Stefan Edberg The most defining aspect of the rivalry between Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg was the three successive Wimbledon finals they contested between 1988 and 1990.

Having split the titles in '88 and '89, their 1990 encounter was undoubtedly the most riveting. Edberg, who had been routed by Boris the year before, swept ahead, crunching through the first two sets 6-2, 6-2. But, as was his wont, Becker rallied in typical fashion to win the next two sets 6-3, 6-3, and send the match into a fifth. Becker broke Edberg early in the fifth set, on course for a fourth Wimbledon title, and setting up the possibility of being the first Wimbledon champion to win the last three sets in a five-set match since Henri Cochetin 1927. But, it was not to be. Edberg regained the break and then broke Becker in the ninth game of the set with a topspin lob winner, eventually serving it out for his second Wimbledon title. The Swede went on to win the US Open in 1991 and 1992.

1991: Steffi Graf v Gabriela Sabatini One of SW19's greatest champions arrived at Wimbledon in 1991 having suffered rather a seesaw period, registering one of the worst defeats of her career against Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in the French Open semi-finals, losing her first 6-0 set since 1984. But, as is so often the case, the green grass of the All England Club gave the formerly indomitable German a boost, powering her way to the final. Coming up against friend and rival Gabriela Sabatini, the odds on form were in the Argentine's favour, having beaten Graf in four tournaments in the spring. But Graf was always capable of something special at Wimbledon, and so it proved, the German rallying back from dropping the second set, and holding her nerve to win an epic Centre Court final 6-4 3-6 8-6, the longest final for 15 years.

1991: Middle Sunday One of the wettest first weeks in the tournament's history - just 52 out of about 240 matches were completed by Thursday evening - prompted the decision to stage play on the traditional day off, the Middle Sunday. Gabriela Sabatini and Andrea Strnadova emerged from their dressing room on to Centre Court for their third-round noon showdown. They were greeted by a packed stadium, a seemingly unending roar and enough Mexican waves to fill an ocean. The spectators had raced from the gates for prime, £10-a-head unreserved seats. They had formed part of a queue snaking almost two miles that produced an attendance of 24,894. On No.1 Court, John McEnroe, a three-time champion, did not disappoint his adoring fans with a victory against Frenchman Jean-Philippe Fleurian, while victories for eventual Swedish semi-finalist Stefan Edberg and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario warmed up the effervescent crowd on the main court for the top of the bill: Jimmy Connors. Despite thriving on the atmosphere, Connors was eventually upstaged by fellow American Derrick Rostango, but the atmosphere overtook the results that day.

1992: Andre Agassi v Goran Ivanisevic They said that he couldn't win Wimbledon, and certainly not by playing resolutely pinned to the baseline. But Andre Agassi wasn't having that. Defeating Goran Ivanisevic 6-7(8), 6-4, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 for the Wimbledon title, the Las Vegan erased the stigma of his previous Grand Slam failures, becoming the first back-of-the-court player to win the title since Bjorn Borg, and the first American to win Wimbledon since John McEnroe in 1984. Illustrating that thundering groundstrokes can be just as important as booming serves, the flamboyant American stood firm throughout a Wimbledon final record onslaught of 37 aces from the 6’4” Croatian, waiting for his chances, and eventually breaking Ivanisevic three times in the match. One of the remarkable statistics was the fact that Ivanisevic came to the net 91 times, not uncommon on grass, but was passed by Agassi an astounding 26 times.

"So many things were going through my mind - Wimbledon champion, Grand Slam winner, a lot of months and years of people doubting me," he said. 1992: John McEnroe v Michael Stich John McEnroe collected his fifth Wimbledon men's doubles title as he and Michael Stich beat Americans Jim Grabb and Richie Reneberg 5-7, 7-6(5), 3-6, 7-6(5), 19-17 in a record-breaking final. McEnroe had been dumped out of the singles by the sprightly Andre Agassi in the semi-finals, and so his and Stich's performance, in the longest men's doubles final since the 1968 Roche and Newcombe victory over Rosewall and Stolle, certainly made amends. Held over from Saturday because of fading light, the match was moved to Court 1 on the final Sunday, the All England Club allowing 7,500 fans into the Grounds for free. After 34 games in the final set had gone with serve, McEnroe produced a stunningly disguised lob to bring up match point, followed by Reneberg dumping Super Brat's serve into the net.

Stich grabbing McEnroe around the waist and lifting him into the air, the unseeded pair triumphed after five hours and one minute. 1993: The Long Term Plan In March 1993, The All England Lawn Tennis Club unveiled its Long Term Plan, the blueprint to take Wimbledon into the 21st Century by providing the finest facilities for all those involved with the event — spectators, players, media, officials — and consistent with our aspiration for The Championships to be embraced as the world’s premier tennis tournament, and still played on grass. 1993: Steffi Graf v Jana Novotna Steffi Graf's fifth Wimbledon title was almost overshadowed by her opponent, Jana Novotna, conspiring to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory after leading by a double break of serve in the third set. Graf looked down and out as Novotna went for broke on a second serve while leading 4-1 in the third set, having romped through the second set 6-1. But whether it was nerves or simply getting ahead of herself, she missed, and the whole match changed.

The German storming back to win 7-6, 1-6, 6-4, Novotna cried her eyes out on the Duchess of Kent's shoulder during the trophy presentation, in what has become one of Wimbledon's most iconic images. "Don't worry Jana, I know you can do it," said the Duchess to Novotna. And she was right, the Czech player triumphing in her third Wimbledon final in 1998. "With the way Jana was playing and the way I was playing, yes, I'd kind of lost it," said Graf, who yelped for joy after pulling off a remarkable turnaround. "I didn't give up but I didn't have a very positive feeling." 1994: Steffi Graf v Lori McNeil In a timely reminder, 1994 proved no champion is safe at Wimbledon. The first Tuesday dawned with an ill wind that blasted through Wimbledon's elite like a bull in a china shop, rattling nerves, stealing the strawberries, flipping the table with a glorious smash.

And there was no greater fall than the world No.1 and five-time champion Steffi Graf, a victim of what the legendary Fred Perry described as "wet, greasy and slippery" gusts. Graf and the wind proved no match for the contrasting cool intensity of her first round opponent, the unseeded Lori McNeil of the US. The German, winner of the last three Wimbledon’s and five of the past six, was blown out of the draw faster than any other defending women's champ in 101 years, and after she cracked nobody was safe. Triumphing 7-5, 7-6, it was the best showing by African-Americans at a Grand Slam event since Arthur Ashe won Wimbledon in 1975, and was received with a huge ovation from the rather wet Centre Court crowd. It was, McNeil said, the best moment she had ever known. "It seemed very short, but at the same time—if this makes any sense—it seemed very long and very loud," she said.

"It was a great feeling, a great moment for me." 1994: Conchita Martinez v Martina Navratilova Even in Wimbledon’s rich history, Conchita Martinez’s triumph in the 1994 Ladies’ Singles has to be one of The Championships’ most fascinating stories. She beat a whole host of top names, including nine-time Champion Martina Navratilova in the final. By doing so, Martinez became the first – and to date only – Spanish woman to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish, and the only Champion between 1982 and 1996 other than Navratilova or Steffi Graf. Despite her excellent run, few gave Martinez a chance in the final against Navratilova. Even at 37, the legendary left-hander was a huge favourite, hunting what would have been her 10th singles crown. But it was not to be, as Martinez produced a stunning upset. The Spaniard admits she was actually more anxious about the prospect of meeting Princess Diana on Centre Court that day.

"When they told me she would be at the final and I would have to curtsy for her, I was more nervous about having to do that and meeting her than playing the match! So maybe that was a good thing." 1995: Tim Henman and the ball girl Always considered to be the epitome of British etiquette, it comes as some surprise that Tim Henman, who shouldered British hopes admirably for so long, became the first player ever to be disqualified from Wimbledon. Playing a doubles match alongside Jeremy Bates, the British pair were leading Jeff Tarango and Henrik Holm by two sets to one. Deep into the fourth set, Henman missed a net cord during the tie-break, and, being an impressionable young thing at that time, lashed out with his racket in frustration, hitting the ball he was holding. But it was his and her misfortune that as he did so, a ball girl was crossing the net, and received the full force of the ball on the side of her head. Referee Alan Mills and Wayne McKewan were summoned to the court, and defaulted the pair for ball abuse. At a late-night press conference at the All England Club, Henman described the incident.

"I was not happy at losing the point and was angry. I went to hit the ball hard. I'd looked to see if the linespeople were out of the way." Clearly on the verge of tears, he said: "It's a complete accident, but I'm responsible for my actions." 1995: Arantxa Sanchez Vicario v Steffi Graf Steffi Graf won her sixth Wimbledon title but was forced to work hard in the final by her erstwhile rival Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, eventually triumphing 4-6, 6-1, 7-5. The Spaniard, a clear underdog on grass, dropped only five points on her own serve to take the first set with some exquisite tennis. But Graf battled back, running through the second set before sealing the win with a break in a titanic 20-minute 11th game in the third set, which featured a boggling 13 deuces and 18 game points. Sanchez Vicario attacked Graf's backhand with such consistency that the German spent much of the game camped in the tramlines on the edge of the court.

On her sixth game point, Graf at last found a powerful backhand drive to seal the break of serve and effectively the match. The Centre Court crowd applauded for the entire changeover, the euphoria continuing as Graf served out for the title. Graf let out an enormous sigh of relief and a cry of joy. She won seven Wimbledons among her 22 Grand Slams but never was she forced to fight harder for victory. 1995: Jeff Tarango’s tantrum If John McEnroe, for all his explosions and mutterings, was a master at delivering a line and working the crowd, fellow American Jeff Tarango was the complete opposite. His meltdown at Wimbledon in 1995, was the perfect lesson in how to alienate an entire crowd with a pathetic, childish outburst. Trailing Alexander Mronz in his third-round match, Tarango became increasingly annoyed with chair umpire Bruno Rebeuh, screaming ‘That’s it, I’m not playing….you are one of the most corrupt officials in the game’. After his request to have Rebeuh removed from the match was denied, Tarango walked off the court, defaulting the match.

He then made matters worse by yelling at the crowd to ‘shut up’ when they jeered him off. Even more bizarrely, a few minutes later, Tarango's wife, Benedicte, slapped Rebeuh twice in the face when they encountered one another in the corridor. Tarango was subsequently banned for two Grand Slam tournaments and fined $63,000. 1996: The streaker The 1996 final between Richard Krajicek and MaliVai Washington was the subject of several headlines, not necessarily because it was the first Sampras-less final in four years, or Washington being the first black man in the final since Arthur Ashe, but because 23-year-old Melissa Johnson became the first female streaker to get on to Centre Court. As the players were preparing to warm up, Johnson ran on to the court with an apron on, disrobed, and ran around the hallowed turf. Six years later, a streaker got on to Centre Court during the men’s final at Wimbledon.

During a rain break, with Lleyton Hewitt leading David Nalbandian 6-1, 1-0 in 2002, 37-year-old Mark Roberts jumped on to the court, shed his clothes and gave spectators quite a show. He pirouetted, bowed, somersaulted over the net and flexed his muscles before he was finally caught and escorted away with a red sheet covering his modesty. 1996: Sir Cliff Richard In one of the most famous and clichéd of all Wimbledon rain delays, play was interrupted extensively in 1996, and so Sir Cliff Richard was invited to give an impromptu concert on Centre Court. The ageing popstar delighted the sodden crowd with a rendition of ‘Singing in the Rain,’ backed by the implausible choir of Virginia Wade, Martina Navratilova, Pam Shriver, Gigi Fernandez and Conchita Martinez. "I started with Summer Holiday, almost as a joke," Sir Cliff said. "It was totally a capella, which has its advantages - it's impossible to sing out of key for a start. And the crowd see the vulnerability of someone singing without any help. They were magnificent, from the first moment.

The reaction was stunning." 1997: Middle Sunday After two days of the 1997 Championships were washed out by rain, the club took the decision to play on the middle Sunday for only the second time in Wimbledon history. This was made particularly thrilling thanks to one match where sporting theatre reached its absolute peak – a third-round clash between Tim Henman, the No.14 seed, and Dutchman Paul Haarhuis, regarded as a doubles expert. For the first time in nearly 20 years, a Brit had a chance of Wimbledon glory and the local public, along with genuine tennis enthusiasts from all over the world, camped all night to pick up one of 14,000 cut-price £15 Centre Court tickets. As Tim Henman recalled, he would never experience a crowd like that "Super Sunday" one again in the 10 remaining years of his career. "From the word go, it was something I'd never experienced before," he admitted. "The noise was at a different level. Every time I won a point it felt like the roof was going to come off.

I’ve never played at Wembley, but I can say that’s as good as it gets in tennis." 1997: Tim Henman v Paul Haarhuis On the 1997 Middle Sunday, Tim Henman and Paul Haarhuis met on Centre Court to contest the sought-after fourth round place against defending champion Richard Krajicek. Neither Henman nor Haarhuis were on top form - there were far too many unforced errors and double faults for the purists, but you would struggle to find any tennis match that could beat it for sheer drama. Henman carved out six first-set points in the opener and squandered them all, three on double faults, and went down 9-7 in the tiebreaker. Haarhuis then got the jitters, a double fault of his own handing the British No.1 the second set and two more giving him the third. There then followed an absolutely exhilarating fourth set. Haarhuis broke early then held strong when Henman twice had golden opportunities to break back, to the groans of the crowd. The underdog was putting up a tremendous fight, but it now became all about who had the bravest of brave hearts.

The subsequent fifth and final set went on and on, each game and each point feeling like a lifetime for the predominately British crowd, who cheered every Henman winner with a roar to put soccer fans to shame. Tiger Tim eventually prevailed 6-7(7), 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 14-12, Haarhuis dropping serve to bring the titanic 93-minute decider to an end. Henman went on to beat Krajicek in a four-set, three tie-break thriller before losing to Michael Stich in the quarter-finals. 1997: Martina Hingis Martina Hingis produced the tennis version of rope-a-dope to exhaust Jana Novotna, and become, at 16, the youngest player to win the Wimbledon singles title since 1887. Floating around the court, the young Swiss dismantled the experienced Novotna 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 with a poise and savvy far beyond her years. Despite a slightly timid start, the teenager rallied to hand out an all-court attack that the increasingly weary Novotna was too tired to handle.

"It might be that maybe I'm too young to win this title," said Hingis, who had lost in the French Open final the month before. "But at the French Open I just knew I wasn't in great shape. This time it's like I could do it." It was another blow for Novotna, who had surrendered the title to Steffi Graf four years earlier, but she went on to triumph against Nathalie Tauziat the following year. 1997: The new No. 1 Court Some of Wimbledon's greatest champions, including Rod Laver, John Newcombe, John McEnroe, Boris Becker, Pete Sampras, Louise Brough, Maria Bueno, Margaret Court, Billie Jean King, Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova gathered at the All England Club in 1997, invited for the opening ceremony of the new No.1 Court at Wimbledon. Officially opened by the Duke of Kent, the new No.1 Court seats 11,000, an increase of 4,500 on the original No.1 Court, which has been demolished.

The building incorporates a food village, a merchandising shop, 11 hospitality suites and a debenture holders' lounge overlooking courts 14-17. In addition to the new No.1 Court, a broadcast centre, new courts 18 and 19, and a road tunnel linking Somerset Road and Church Road came into operation for the first time. As part of the continuation of the Long Term Plan, the site where the original No.1 Court stood, adjacent to the Centre Court, was turned into what is the Millennium Building today - the new player and press facilities, which were completed in 2000. 1998: Martina Hingis v Jelena Dokic Even Jelena Dokic's volatile father was left speechless after the 16-year-old Australian qualifier knocked out world No.1 Martina Hingis in the first round in 1999 in one of the biggest shocks in Wimbledon history. Bobbing up and down like a boxer on the baseline as she swept past Hingis 6-2, 6-0, Dokic summed it up with the understatement so beloved of teengagers - "I think I played quite well today.

There was no pressure on me to win. I didn't feel nervous. I just went for it," Dokic said. "It's tough to beat her, whether you practise with her or not ... I tried to play my own game." Somewhat ironically, Hingis had taken Dokic under her wing as a training partner, practising together before the French Open, and even taking a holiday together. "Martina and her mum made us feel part of the family for a whole week. We never stopped talking and it was such good fun," Dokic said then. "I hope we are friends forever." 1999: Steffi Graf v Venus Williams Old met new in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon, as 19-year-old Venus Williams came up against Steffi Graf, on a high after claiming the French Open. It was a second quarter-final in a row at SW19 for Venus, who hussled and tussled to beat Anna Kournikova in the fourth round. But Graf had not won seven Wimbledon titles by just ambling about.

The seven-time champion neutralised the young Venus's powerful hitting in typical athletic style, running down every groundstroke that her opponent pummelled over the net, and sending it back just as hard. Interrupted four times by rain, both players were forced to produce some of their best tennis, Graf in particular mixing it up with drop shots and net play to keep Williams guessing. Converting on her first match point, Graf hopped up and down, punching the air and screaming with delight. "It rarely happens in the quarter-final to play that kind of tennis," said Graf, remarking that it was the best she had ever had to play to get to the semi-finals at Wimbledon. 1999: Pete Sampras v Andre Agassi Sampras v Agassi was the classic duel of the 1990s. Pistol Pete was the quiet, unassuming fellow who kept to himself while going about the business of amassing a record haul of 14 Grand Slam titles, seven of them at Wimbledon. He served, volleyed and one-handed-backhanded his way into the record books, spent 286 weeks as world No.1 and was a model of consistency.

Agassi on the other hand was a veritable firecracker, up one day, down the next. World No.1, world No.141 – it all depended on where his focus was at the time. The two all-American heroes played each other 34 times between 1989 and 2002, with Sampras holding a 20-14 record and a 4-1 advantage in Grand Slam finals. Serving for the title at 6-3, 6-4, 6-5, Sampras fired down two service winners to make it 30-0. An Agassi backhand return clipped the baseline, then he sent a perfect cross-court forehand as Sampras came in behind a second service to level matters at 30-all. The prostrate Sampras, who had dived in vain to retrieve Agassi’s masterpiece, then picked himself up, dusted himself off and banged a second service right on the T for an ace. On match point, Sampras repeated the feat: two second-serve aces and the title, his sixth Wimbledon crown of seven – was his.

Featured Articles about Helen Wills Moody - Page 2 - latimes FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT HELEN WILLS MOODY - PAGE 2 SPORTS On the Other Side, Graf Is Feeling Pressure From Seles and Navratilova June 25, 1990 | THOMAS BONK On the women's side of Wimbledon, a three-way battle is shaping up among No. 1 Steffi Graf, No. 2 Martina Navratilova and No. 3 Monica Seles. Two-time defending champion Graf has been made an odds-on favorite to win again, but she is coming off consecutive losses to Seles in the German and French opens. Seles, whose game is better suited to clay courts than the grass of Wimbledon, has won 32 consecutive matches and five consecutive tournaments. Then there is Navratilova. Advertisement Stanford Teams Head Field at Ojai Tennis Tournament April 26, 1990 Stanford will bring its top-ranked men's and women's tennis teams to the Ojai Valley in a warmup for the upcoming NCAA tournament and is expected to lead the way in Ojai Valley tennis tournament today through Sunday.

Sandra Birch and Stanford teammate Meredith McGrath are the top two ranked women's players in the Volvo Tennis/Collegiate rankings, and Stanford's Jonathan Stark is the No. 2-ranked men's player. Byron Black of USC is ranked No. 5, and Trisha Laux of USC is ranked No. SPORTS Odds Against Garrison Again as She Tries to Deny Navratilova July 7, 1990 | THOMAS BONK So, Martina Navratilova, your path to the women's final and a record ninth Wimbledon title has been cleared of Steffi Graf, now how do you feel? "I'm just trying not to hyperventilate," Navratilova said. All that separates the 33-year-old Navratilova from a ninth Wimbledon crown--Helen Wills Moody had eight, the last in 1938--is Zina Garrison. The odds are against Garrison, who is 1-27 against Navratilova. "I've beaten her once and I've played her close in a lot of situations," Garrison said.

SPORTS Evert to Challenge Graf; Navratilova Faces Swede July 6, 1989 | THOMAS BONK, Times Staff Writer In the Wimbledon women's semifinals, Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova are chasing legends of different eras. Graf's opponent is Chris Evert, 34, who will probably be making her last appearance on the most famous grass courts in tennis. Navratilova, who will play Catarina Lindqvist of Sweden, is only two victories away from a record ninth Wimbledon title. She is tied with Helen Wills Moody at eight. Winning today would take a huge upset by Evert, who hasn't beaten Graf in three years. SPORTS Now You Know June 12, 2006 French Open multiple champions. Note: Before 1925, the French Open was restricted to French players.

MEN *--* 6 Bjorn Borg (1974-75, 1978-81) 4 Henri Cochet (1926, 1928, 1930, 1932) 3 Rene Lacoste (1925, 1927, 1929); Mats Wilander (1982, 1985, 1988); Ivan Lendl (1984, 1986-87); Gustavo Kuerten (1997, 2000-01) 2 Gottfried von Cramm (1934, 1936); Frank A. SPORTS Martina Sets Sights on No. 10 : Women: She is favored to defeat Martinez for the title today in her singles farewell to Centre Court. July 2, 1994 | GENE WOJCIECHOWSKI, TIMES STAFF WRITER Martina Navratilova, making her final appearance on Wimbledon's Centre Court, will play Conchita Martinez today for the women's singles championship.

The 37-year-old Navratilova, the oldest player in the draw, has made no secret of her feelings for Wimbledon. It is her favorite tournament, her favorite playing surface and her favorite singles title, which figures, because she has nine of them. SPORTS Navratilova: Court's Attack Was Unjustified August 4, 1990 | THOMAS BONK, TIMES STAFF WRITER Martina Navratilova, who won a record ninth Wimbledon title only to be criticized by Margaret Court as a poor role model because she is gay, said Friday that the three-time former Wimbledon champion was out of line. "Her timing was atrocious," Navratilova said. "Who is she to judge me? I don't judge her. I don't judge anybody else. Why judge? She's not perfect. Nobody's perfect." SPORTS Graf By The Numbers August 14, 1999 GRAND SLAM SINGLES All-Time Grand Slam Singles Titles 1. Margaret Court Smith Aus: 11 Fre: 5 Wim: 3 US: 5 Total: 24 2.

Steffi Graf Aus: 4 Fre: 6 Wim: 7 US: 5 Total: 22 3. Helen Wills Moody Aus: * Fre: 4 Wim: 8 US: 7 Total: 19 4. Chris Evert Aus: 2 Fre: 7 Wim: 3 US: 6 Total: 18 5. SPORTS Navratilova: Beating Seles Easier on Hard Court : Tennis: The two are playing in Evert Cup, which begins today at Indian Wells. February 24, 1992 | BOB WOLF, SPECIAL TO THE TIMES Monica Seles is as close to a sure thing as there is in women's tennis these days, having won three of the four Grand Slam tournaments last year. But if Martina Navratilova had a choice, a hard court would be the surface she would select to play the top-ranked Seles. Navratilova, ranked fourth, could get that chance this week at Indian Wells, where she is seeded to meet Seles in the final of the Evert Cup. The tournament starts today at Hyatt Grand Champions Resort.

SPORTS Great Day for Graf, Great Game for Both : Wimbledon: She wins sixth championship by outlasting Sanchez Vicario with a memorable finish, 4-6, 6-1, 7-5. July 9, 1995 | JULIE CART, TIMES STAFF WRITER Women's tennis, maligned and belittled for two weeks at Wimbledon, reared up and struck back Saturday at its most opportune moment. Steffi Graf and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario provided a stirring women's singles final that should blot out the fat jokes and the fitness jokes and boring jokes. The match, offering athleticism, intelligence and finesse, was perhaps the best-played women's Grand Slam final in a generation. ESPN Classic - Martina was alone on top Martina was alone on top By Larry Schwartz Special to ESPN.com "I think people thought of her as a villain because physically she was so strong. There's Chrissy and Tracy Austin and Evonne Goolagong and then along comes Martina, who's working out and there's veins popping out of her arms and who's really strong. And people were taken back. They were intimidated by this.

But she's a kitten," says Chris Evert about Martina Navratilova on ESPN Classic's SportsCentury series. She came to the United States to play tennis and became the queen of Burger King. Two decades later, she left tennis as the queen of the game. Navratilova holds the trophy after winning her ninth Wimbledon singles title in 1990. It wasn't easy for Martina Navratilova, born a Czechoslovakian but with the heart of an American. It was hard shaping up and winning a record nine Wimbledons, including six consecutively on the hallowed grass. It was even more difficult winning over the fans. Her public perception advanced from animosity to acceptance to adulation. "How gratifying it must have been for her," Frank Deford wrote. "To have achieved so much, triumphed so magnificently, yet always to have been the other, the odd one, alone: lefthander in a righthanded universe, gay in a straight world; defector, immigrant; the [last?] gallant volleyer among all those duplicate baseline bytes.

"When she came into the game, she was the European among Americans; she leaves as the American among Europeans -- and the only grown-up left in the tennis crib. Can't she ever get it right?" Martina became a one-name celebrity, like Michael and Reggie, like Magic and O.J. She defected in 1975, became a U.S. citizen six years later, and dominated tennis in the 1980s the way Bill Tilden did in the 1920s. Though raised on the slow clay courts of Czechoslovakia, Navratilova eschewed the polite, baseline-anchored woman's game. With a wicked serve, a rush to the net, and a ferocious volley, she was a full court drama, complete with emotional outbursts. She won only three major singles titles before she was 25, an age when many women players are ready to retire. She finished with 18, including four U.S. Opens, three French and two Australian. Adding in her 40 doubles titles, Navratilova has won 58 Grand Slam championships. Only Margaret Smith Court has won more total majors (62).

Since the Open era began in 1968 (and statistics were carefully recorded), no player -- male or female -- has won more tournaments than Navratilova's 167 or more matches than her 1,438 (against just 212 defeats). She was ranked No. 1 for 331 weeks, second only to Steffi Graf's 373 since rankings began in 1975. She earned a record $20,344,061. More stats: Navratilova had consecutive match winning streaks of 74 (the women's record), 58 and 54; won six consecutive Grand Slam singles titles in a 14-month stretch; and had years with the unbelievable records of 86-1, 78-2, 90-3 and 89-3. "But her influence went far beyond numbers," Robert Lipsyte and Peter Levine wrote in Idols of the Game. "As a lesbian, Navratilova expanded the dialogue on issues of gender and sexuality in sports.

In the years that she and Chris Evert were locked in their fierce rivalry to be Number One, sports fans saw it was possible for two very different women, physically and emotionally, different in lifestyle and playing style, to both be great champions -- and friends." Born Martina Subertova on Oct. 18, 1956, in Prague, her parents divorced when she was three. Her mother moved the family to rural Revnice, just outside Prague, and in 1962, she remarried, to Marislav Navratil. Martina took the name of her stepfather, adding the feminine "ova." At 4� she was hitting a tennis ball off a cement wall and at seven, she began playing regularly. At 15 she won the Czech national championship. In 1973, the 16-year-old Navratilova turned pro and competed in the United States. In her autobiography, Navratilova wrote, "For the first time in my life I was able to see America without the filter of a Communist education, Communist propaganda. And it felt right. . . . "I honestly believe I was born to be an American.

With all due respect to my homeland, things never really felt right until the day I got off the plane in Florida." Two years later, she defected. After losing to Evert in the semifinals of the 1975 U.S. Open in Queens, the 18-year-old Navratilova crossed the East River to the offices of the Immigration and Naturalizations Service in Manhattan. Within a month, she received her green card. Navratilova won her first Wimbledon title in 1978. While there was strength in her game, her weakness for fast foods, sleek cars, gold jewelry and Gucci garb almost stopped her climb to the top. Like many a teenager, she fell in love with Whoppers and Big Macs, fries and milkshakes. She beefed up to 167 pounds on her 5-foot-7� frame and tennis authority Bud Collins described her as "the Great Wide Hope." It would not be until 1978 that Navratilova would become No. 1 and win her first singles Grand Slam tournament, defeating Evert in the Wimbledon final, the event that she always had dreamed of winning.

A dozen years later, after winning her ninth Wimbledon, she said, "I prefer to consider my love for Wimbledon a rational reverence." Meanwhile, Navratilova also had more earthly loves, such as an affair with author Rita Mae Brown. In July 1981, soon after being granted U.S. citizenship, she took the bold step of telling the truth when asked about her sexual preferences. Navratilova said she was bisexual. "Martina was the first legitimate superstar who literally came out while she was a superstar," said Donna Lopiano, executive director of the Women's Sports Foundation. "She exploded the barrier by putting it on the table. She basically said this part of my life doesn't have anything to do with me as a tennis player. Judge me for who I am." But Navratilova's honesty cost her millions in endorsement opportunities because of corporate homophobia. That summer she moved to Dallas to live with basketball star Nancy Lieberman, who became her lover, personal trainer and hardened her physically and mentally. Navratilova also hired Renee Richards as a coach. Navratilova's game took off. She regained her status as No.

1 in 1982 and held it, for the most part, until the summer of '87. It took Navratilova years to stop Evert's domination of her, but once she did, she controlled the rivalry. After losing 21 of their first 25 matches, serve-and-volleyer Navratilova finished with a 43-37 edge over baseliner Evert. In 1982, Navratilova went 90-3 and became the first female athlete to earn more than $1 million in a year. In 1983, she was 86-1, losing only to Kathy Horvath in the fourth round of the French Open. She also started her streak of winning 109 consecutive doubles matches, over more than two years, with Pam Shriver. Navratilova won the final three majors of 1983 and when she won the first three in 1984, it appeared she would finally win the Grand Slam. But Helena Sukova upset her in the Australian Open semifinals in December.

In the next three years, she would reach the finals of all 11 Grand Slam tournaments she entered, winning six. In 1987, she broke Suzanne Lenglen's record of five consecutive Wimbledons (1919-23). While Navratilova would never regain her No. 1 ranking, she would win another Wimbledon. In 1990, at 33, she won her ninth, breaking the record she shared with Helen Wills Moody. By then, she was a crowd favorite, the grande dame of tennis who finally heard the cheers for her, not for her opponent. She officially retired from the tour in 1994, but came back in 1995 to win her third Wimbledon mixed doubles title. She returned to tennis again in 2000, but strictly as a doubles player. She is involved with various charities that benefit animal rights, underprivileged children and gay rights. "Through all her transformations -- of body, hair, clothes, glasses, nationalities, coaches, lovers -- the one thing, ever the same, ever distinct, is her voice, which is pitched to shatter a champagne flute," Deford wrote.

"It brought forth sounds of decency and forthrightness, leavened with wit and compassion. Tennis was very blessed to have such a voice for so long, for these times." BBC SPORT | Tennis | History | Wimbledon legends: Martina Navratilova Wimbledon legends: Martina Navratilova 1978, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990 Runner up: 1988, 1989, 1994 Grand Slam titles: 18 Photos from her career Martina Navratilova took her haul of Wimbledon titles to a record-equalling 20 in 2003 after victory in the mixed doubles with Leander Paes. She shares that honour with Billie-Jean King, having already beaten many of her other landmarks, not least by playing a record 279 singles matches at SW19. In that time she totted up a toal of nine singles titles, six of which came in successive summers from 1982.

Navratilova raised the women's game to a new level with power and aggression. The Czech-born left-hander, who became a naturalised American in 1975, also set new standards with her astonishing fitness levels and commitment. Amazingly, she had never even seen a grass court until a week before her first appearance there in 1973. Watching Wimbledon on television as a child, she had no idea how long the grass would be, imagining it would be a couple of inches long like a football pitch. When she leant down to touch the court at Queen's Club, where she was practicing before Wimbledon, she could not believe how short and tightly-woven it was. She later declared: "Wimbledon is like a drug. Once you win it for the first time you feel you've just got to do it again and again and again." And so it proved. Navratilova won her first title in 1978 against Chris Evert, who she beat again 12 months later.

Evert was on the receiving end again in 1982 when Navratilova started her six year domination of Wimbledon during which she beat Andrea Jaeger, Evert again, and again (for the fifth time), Hana Mandlikova and Steffi Graf. It was Graf who finally broke the spell becoming the first person to beat Navratilova in a Wimbledon singles final winning 6-1 in the third in both 1988 and 1989. But Navratilova was not finished yet. She reached her ninth successive final in 1990 and overwhelmed Zina Garrison. "If I ever reached the stage where winning Wimbledon was no big deal, I'd know it was time for me to get out of the game," she once said. She retired in 1994, the year she lost her last final appearance against Conchita Martinez, although later returned to play doubles matches, teaming up with Paes in 2003 for that famous 20th title. In 2004, Navratilova returned to the scene of her great triumphs to compete again in the singles competition.

Serena Williams Wins Wimbledon - EBONY X Serena Williams Wins Wimbledon Hours after capturing her 14th Grand Slam singles title, Serena teamed with sister Venus to win their 13th Grand Slam doubles title by #teamEBONY, July 9, 2012 Comments The road back to the top wasn't easy, but Serena Williams is back. Compton's own held on to beat Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 in the Wimbledon final on Saturday to claim her 14th Grand Slam singles title, her fifth at the All England Club, matching sister Venus' total. With the victory, Williams becomes the first woman past her 30th birthday to win a major in 22 years. Martina Navratilova was the last to do so, capturing a ninth Wimbledon crown in 1990 at age 33. Relying on her biggest weapon going into the final, her powerful serve, Williams converted 92% of the time when she got her first serve in.

She also broke the record for aces, smacking 23 against Zheng Jie and upping that record with 24 against Victoria Azarenka in the semi-finals. Radwanska, a deft counter-puncher who plays great defense and chases down ball after ball, had dropped only one set on her way to the final. In the final match of the evening, Serena teamed with sister Venus to win their 13th Grand Slam doubles title with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Lucie Hradecka and Andrea Hlavackova of the Czech Republic. The tournament has been a coronation for Venus and Serena, who have won 10 of the past 13 Wimbledon singles titles and now five Wimbledon doubles championships. More great reads Sign up for the Ebony Newsletter EBONY.com

Question: Who won a record ninth Wimbledon singles title in 1990?
Answer: Martina Navratilova